UNH announces $25m stadium upgrade

DURHAM — The University of New Hampshire announced plans Friday for $25 million upgrade to the Cowell Stadium complex, home to the university’s nationally ranked football team.

The project calls for a new grandstand with about 3,500 new seats on the west side of the field across from the existing stands. New bathrooms, concessions and a dedicated student section also are planned. Construction will be done in late 2015.

The existing grandstand adjacent to the field house will be renovated later this year. Lights also will be installed in time for the 2014 season.

UNH President Mark Huddleston said the new athletic complex would will help build school spirit and pride and also benefit the local economy.

“To use a very much overused word, it will be transformative for the university for sure,” he said Friday in a phone interview.

UNH plans to raise $5 million and pursue internal borrowing for the remaining $20 million. It has already raised about $1.7 million toward the project, according to a university spokeswoman.

“Currently we have one of the most out-of-date stadiums in the entire nation,” Marty Scarano, UNH athletic director, said in a statement. “In looking at the new stadiums built at our peer institutions in the last decade, we found most all were funded with a combination of fundraising and internal financing.”

Having an updated venue with lights would let the university vie for state, regional and national sports competitions and also host high school football championships and concerts, he said. The facility already hosts Special Olympics and other sporting events.

The university has long planned to upgrade its athletic facilities, and a new stadium was included in a recent campus master plan. The new facility is expected to help the university with sports recruiting an also help attract prospective students.

“All of our facilities really are important in how they represent the university to perspective students and the outside world in general,” Huddleston said. “Academic buildings, athletics, dining halls, residence halls: They are all a reflection of what we are.”

University System of New Hampshire trustees reviewed plans for the new athletic complex on Thursday. More details on the project are expected at the trustees meeting in April.

Cowell Stadium, home to the UNH football, lacrosse, track and field and soccer teams, was built in 1936. It is named for former football coach and athletic director William H. “Butch” Cowell. The stadium holds about 6,500 people.

The planned upgrades will increase its capacity to more than 10,000 seats. The new facility also will have state-of-the art broadcast and Wi-Fi capabilities and gathering and social spaces near the field.

“I think there are going to be a whole lot of people standing and cheering when this is done,” Huddleston said.